The Anglo-Saxon hero had to have a strong sense of duty, possess honor, be courageous and lastly they had to have incredible strength. In the case of Beowulf, even though he boasted of his feats and his ability to defeat anyone placed before him, he was still perceived as humble. A hero must be willing to sacrifice his or her own life without giving a second thought. An excellent example of a hero in Anglo-Saxon literature is Beowulf. The first heroic characteristic that Beowulf possesses is honor. Honor is showing a sense of integrity in one's actions. When Beowulf went to the land of the Danes to kill Grendel, he did it not because he wanted money, but because he wanted to help out the Geats. Beowulf felt as if it was the right thing to do since he had been successful in past deeds, which he proudly says in lines 321-322, where he says, "They had in remembrance my courage and might. Many had seen me come safe from the conflict,". Beowulf expected no reward for his action, but rather just being able to "put another notch in his belt." _ Another important aspect of an Anglo-Saxon hero was their intense level of courage. Even when Beowulf was old in age he readily wanted to fight the dragon even though he knew it would kill him. In line 1493, he says "Not one foot's space will I flee from the monster," thus showing his true bravery by not giving up to the more powerful foe. He was never worried about his own safety; he was prepared for what ever happened. All that come across Beowulf's path, because of his courageous deeds, often admired him. This is apparent in the following quote, "I have never seen a mightier warrior on earth than is one of you, a man in battle-dress". Beowulf was not only considered the strongest warrior but people often exaggerated his strength because of their admiration. Warriors had to be willing to sacrifice themselves for glory or for the betterment of the country all without a trace of regret. Beowulf's strength and courage are...

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...Is Beowulf a hero?
It is vital when approaching the question of whether or not Beowulf can be viewed as a hero to attempt to understand the concept of a hero'. Joseph Campbell, the American theorist, studied mythological characters and texts in great detail and developed the concept of the monomyth (or Hero's Journey) which he suggested all heroes undertook:
"A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow men."
If we are to take this statement as being accurate it is fair to say that at least in so far as what actually occurs in the poem that Beowulf is a hero. He ventures forth', as Campbell puts it, from Geatland to Denmark, a world inhabited by monsters, which certainly fits the idea of a region of supernatural wonder'. Here he encounters Grendel and Grendel's mother and defeats both in battle, in keeping with the fabulous forces' and decisive victory' in the Hero's Journey theory. Eventually Beowulf returns to Geatland and in time becomes King of his homeland, which in turn fulfils Campbell's idea that a hero will return from his adventure' and his fellow men will benefit from his presence. In looking...

...The hero is an age-old concept that describes someone that will defend their honor to the end. In Beowulf, the author portrays the warrior Beowulf and his three battles in such a way as to clearly define what it means to be a hero. Fred Robinson and J. R. R. Tolkien addressed heroism in Beowulf regarding the warrior’s traits, as well as his battles and burial. The author of Beowulf defines thehero through Beowulf’s three battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. In this poem, each monster possesses a specific quality undesired by heroes. Beowulf battles anger/jealousy, vengeance, and greed/selfishness for the good of his Geat nation. As Beowulf fends off these anti-hero traits, he becomes capable of being a great leader of the Geats due to his divine piety – ultimately allowing him to be deified during his two burial ceremonies. Therefore, in Beowulf, the hero must utilize divine piety to overcome greed, vengeance, and jealousy in order to protect his nation.
The first sign of heroism in Beowulf occurs during the fight against Grendel. Grendel is a monster that “had dwelt for a time / in misery among the banished monsters” (Beowulf, 104-105). This monster is claimed to be banished due to his descent form Cain. Grendel’s havoc originated with his inability to...

...Beowulf Essay
Every epic hero possesses certain heroic characteristics. The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is the hero. He shows that he is a great man by always putting other things before his own needs. He is important and needed by his people and is known by many as a strong, courageous and a helpful person. He shows all of the qualities and traits that a truehero possesses.
Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities: epic heroes are superhuman types of beings. They show great bravery, intelligence, strength and resourcefulness. They have a strong admiration for the values of their society. They are dominant male figures and suffer severe pain, but in the end, they conquer evil. Beowulf encompasses all of these traits of an epic hero, and more.
Analyzing Beowulf's three battles, one can easily see Beowulf's heroic characteristics prevail. The battle with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon display an array of heroism expressed by Beowulf.
One characteristic of heroism is that a hero performs outrageous and sometimes superhuman deeds. Beowulf is a prime example of this type of hero. He volunteers himself to fight Grendel and when Grendel's mom seeks revenge he goes to the lake and takes on the...

...heroes with their journeys throughout the epic. Beowulf exemplifies each of these traits somewhere is the story. They aid him in his battles with monsters and allow him to be a leader to his people. These traits cause Beowulf to stand out among his peers and endear him to the reader. Beowulf is definitely a perfect example of an epic hero. Beowulf's physical strength, bravery, and wisdom characterize him as an epic hero.
Beowulf's physical strength is revealed to the reader through his amazing feats and his unbelievable battles with mystical creatures. In lines 91 and 92 it states that Beowulf was the strongest man in the world. These words come from the Geats who are barbaric people to begin with. The fact that they speak so highly of Beowulf's strength is a testament to its truthfulness. After Beowulf arrives in Denmark he quickly travels to Herot to prepare for his battle with Grendel. In the lines following 307 it is stated that Grendel was instantly seized by Beowulf upon trying to clutch him. This is a feat that no man was able to accomplish before Beowulf's arrival. Beowulf's strength is also shown in his battle with Grendel's mother. In lines 465 and 466 it states that Beowulf was able to throw the she-witch to the ground. This only reemphasizes Beowulf's great physical strength. Finally, Beowulf's strength is shown in his battle with the...

...British Literature
9/28/13
Beowulf vs. Batman
The model hero owns power, ethics; and, above all, fights evil. This definition was functional in the time of Beowulf and still is functional in today’s time only slightly altered. Due to the use of such inventions such as television and internet, our culture has come to value physical desirability and sensual feelings, as evident in the example of Batman, a 21st century hero. In addition, humility has become a desired value in modern times, whereas self-assurance to the point of overconfidence was a favorable quality in Beowulf’s time. Batman and Beowulf are both exemplary figures in their time and they both complete various adventures, but the difference is that Batman completes these adventures for his community; Beowulf does it for his legacy.
Beowulf’s arrogant attitude is something that in our culture we do not look up to or condone with our heroes. In the beginning of the story Beowulf boast on how the community had seen him bolstered in the blood of enemies when he battled and bound five beasts (Beowulf 419). In our society today we really do not enjoy when our modern day heroes boast and brag about their accomplishments. Doing this takes credit away from the actions the hero has already committed. In modern society today our community prefers for our heroes to be humble and...

...﻿INDEX
1. Introduction:
Beowulf is perhaps the most important work from Anglo-Saxon literature. The poem tells the story of Beowulf, a warrior from Geatland, which is now present-day Sweden. Beowulf exemplifies the traits of the perfect hero. The poem explores his heroism in two separate phases—youth and age—and through three separate and increasingly difficult conflicts—with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon.
Although we can view these three encounters as expressions of the heroic code, there is perhaps a clearer division between Beowulf’s youthful heroism as an unfettered warrior and his mature heroism as a reliable king. These two phases of his life, separated by fifty years, correspond to two different models of virtue, and much of the moral reflection in the story centers on differentiating these two models and on showing how Beowulf makes the transition from one to the other.
The definition of a hero is always made and changed by the society and culture in which that hero resides. These ideas also change with generation and cultural gaps. This is clearly shown in the case of Beowulf and its main character. Although not all of Beowulf's thoughts and actions are worthy of hero status in our culture, they were seen as acts of great heroism in the Anglo-Saxon culture.
The contrast of these aspects of heroism in a more modern...

...Beowulf Essay
Epic heroes possess many traits that other characters lack. Beowulf has many traits that make him an epic hero. Beowulf has strength, intelligence, and courage. He does many brave deeds and is strong and responsible leader. These traits are what make Beowulf the hero he is now.
Beowulf has strength, intelligence, and courage. He has strength because he focuses on the bad and turns it into good. Another of his traits is intelligence because he uses his smarts to fight Grendel and his mother. Beowulf has a lot of courage when he went down into the den and killed Grendel and his mother. Beowulf’s strength, intelligence, and courage are one of the characteristics that make him an epic hero.
The second characteristic is that Beowulf does many brave deeds. In the story Beowulf, Beowulf was determined to fight the horrible monsters, Grendel with his mother and the fire breathing dragon firedrake. Beowulf is brave because he fought those entire monsters when everyone wouldn’t. Beowulf’s brave deed is the second characteristic that makes him an epic hero.
The final characteristic that sets Beowulf apart as an epic hero is him being a strong and responsible leader. He is a strong and responsible leader because he is loyal to his country. He...

...A true hero does not fear death but instead risks all that he is for what he believes to be right, moral, and just. Revered by many, Beowulf is considered to be one of the most renowned Anglo-Saxon poems of all time. Beowulf faces death defying feats that no ordinary man would be able to complete, thus earning the hero status. Beowulf encountered many battles, where he selflessly put his own life on the line to stop evil from tormenting the people of the Danes. He traveled across the sea, killing Grendel, slaying Grendel’s mother and ultimately fighting the last battle of his life against the dragon, thus exemplifying him as an epic hero. Beowulf’s heroicness is recognized in the many battles he faced where he displayed supernatural qualities. The first monster Beowulf encounters is Grendel. He is a monster, who occupies a human-like form; similar to Satan, because he is superhuman in size and strength and is hostile towards man. He has terrorized Herot for twelve years. Before Beowulf attempted to rid the land of Grendel, men tried to slaughter him, “but their points could not hurt him, the sharpest and hardest iron could not scratch at his skin.” Beowulf’s extraordinary strength is evident by the dismemberment of Grendel’s limb and fate during the battle in the mead hall of the King. In Beowulf’s early life, he swam for seven days with his companion...